The Unexpected Heir Part Two
by CaseyLove
Summary: Sequel to The Unexpected Heir. Baby James in tow, Harry, Ginny, Ron & Hermione embark on their mission to bring Voldemort down. How will things change now that there is a child involved? Time will tell. Reading The Unexpected Heir first is recommended.
1. From Every End Comes a New Beginning

**I'm BACK! Did you guys miss me? Yes? Maybe? No? Oh well, I tried. Anyways, I know that this story is a little late coming, but hey, it's finally here now! Before we start I'd just like to say this ahead of time so there is no confusion later. I cannot stress enough that this is ****NOT**** a retelling. I will not be following the original plot line. Of course, I'll stick to the important things, but other than that, it's fair game. Positive criticism is always welcome, but please don't comment or PM me just to say that my story isn't cannon. I'm aware of this already. So, without further adieu, it's great to have you all back, I hope you like this story as much as you liked the last one, and again, please review! :)**

**The wonderful Cover Art is done by Lacy. Likes. Pie Isn't she great?  
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From Every End Comes a New Beginning

Harry groaned into his pillow as he awoke to the sound of his son crying in his bassinet across the room. He sat up and reached across to the end table to grab his glasses. The clock came into focus. It read 2:34 in the morning. He stretched and stood up, yawning.

"Thank you," Ginny mumbled, grateful for the help, as it was technically her turn to attend to him.

"It's no problem," he said groggily as he dragged his feet over to his son's cot. "Hey there little guy," he said, rubbing his eyes under his glasses before leaning down to pick James up. He cradled the infant in his arms and rocked him slightly. "What wrong bud, wet nappy?" He lifted the infant up slightly and checked his nappy for soakage. Completely dry. "Probably just hungry," Harry said with a yawn.

"Bring him over here, I'll feed him," Ginny called, though her voice was muffled by the pillow she was speaking into. Harry obliged, carrying the small boy over to his mother, who lay half asleep in her bed, her blankets all askew from nights of restless sleep. Harry crawled into the bed and laid the baby down in between him and Ginny. He pulled the sheets back up over them and turned the light off. "Good night love," he said.

Ginny exhaustedly pulled her son against her and yawned. "Good night."

The three Potters all drifted back to sleep.

It had been just one week since James' birth, and sleep for Harry and Ginny had proved itself to be hard to come by. Ginny's mother had spoken to her many times about the difficulties and time consumption of raising a child, but nothing could have prepared the young couple for this. At only one week of age, James had used up his entire supply of nappies, spat up on three separate people (Ron twice), peed on his father whilst he was trying to change his nappy, and somehow managed to spend almost none of his time sleeping. In fact, Ginny nearly worried for his health, considering his sleeping habits, or rather, lack thereof. Yes, it was clear to Harry and Ginny already that this boy was going to be just as much of a troublemaker as his uncles.

When, at around six in the morning, James awoke for the fifth time since he'd originally been put to sleep, Harry and Ginny rolled out of bed and decided to take on the day. "You know," Ginny said as she bent down over James and bundled him up in a tight swaddle. He kept kicking his feet out. "Since he's been born, I've gained so much respect for my mum."

"I know," Harry said, pulling a jumper over his head. "I can't imagine how she managed seven of you."

"Practice, I suppose," Ginny mused. Once James had been successfully swaddled, Ginny lifted her son into her arms and smiled at him. "Hey there sweetheart," she said, adoringly. As hard as it was trying to live without sleep, Ginny found herself to really be loving motherhood. One week, and she already couldn't imagine her life without James in it. He was a lot of work, but he brought her more than enough happiness to make up for it. James in tow, Harry and Ginny headed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Morning," Harry said with a yawn.

"Morning," Molly Weasley called from her place at the table, where she sipped tea and stared at the open newspaper in her husband's hands. She looked up and smiled. "There's my favourite grandson," she said, standing up. She hurried over to take the boy from Ginny's arms. "Well _hello_," she said in a silly tone. She bounced him lightly and made silly faces. "Who's the cutest little boy?" She cooed. James gurgled and stared up at his grandmother.

Ginny yawned and summoned a glass of pumpkin juice from the cold cupboard.

Harry poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Get any sleep last night?" Arthur called to his daughter and son-in-law, Molly still the cooing their grandson beside him. Ginny shook her head and abandoned her pumpkin juice to pour herself a coffee as well.

"He's been waking up every hour or so. Sometimes more often."

Molly nodded and patted the baby on the back to burp him. "Percy was like that," she reminisced. The room fell quiet but for James' light hiccoughs. "Anyway," Molly said, breaking the silence. "It'll get better eventually. He'll be sleeping through the night in a few months."

"A few _months_?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"It will fly by faster than you think," Molly said, handing the baby off to Harry, who cradled him against his chest.

"School starts today," Arthur commented from behind his paper. Molly gave him a pointed look from across the table, still very sour about her children's abandonment of their education to do mysterious work that she wasn't to know about. Arthur cringed. "They've announced Severus Snape as headmaster."

"What?" Harry and Ginny exclaimed furiously at once, causing James to give a scared whimper.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Hermione calling to them from the first landing. "Harry, Ginny, could I see you for a moment?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look. "We'll just be a moment," Harry said as he propped James against his shoulder and stood up. He and Ginny hurried from the kitchen.

As they headed for the stairs Ginny spoke nervously. "They wouldn't have made Snape headmaster unless..."

"Voldemort's taken over the ministry," Harry said seriously.

Ginny gulped. "Do you really think-?"

"I'm positive," Harry said as they reached the second floor and headed to the room that Hermione was using.

"There you are," Hermione said as they approached, tugging the couple into the room, James drooling innocently on his father's shirt all the while. As they entered, Ginny looked around, taking in her surroundings. Ron sat in a low chair at the back of the room, sorting through clothes, and there were two large piles of books next to the chair that Hermione had obviously been sitting on. The room (Once belonging to Bill but now usually used by Hermione, as she spent more time here than at her own home) had been turned upside down in what appeared to be a frantic search for something important. "What happened in here?" Ginny asked, taking a seat on the bed. Harry did the same.

"We're packing," Ron said, giving a quick goofy smile to his nephew before quickly returning to his work.

"Packing?" Ginny asked.

"We can't be sure as to when we'll be leaving, but it'll have to be soon. Have you seen this yet?" Hermione tossed a copy of the Prophet over to Harry and Ginny. They stared down at the paper, where the hook nose and greasy black hair of Severus Snape stared back up at them.

"We know," Harry said.

"You don't reckon-" Ron started.

"Yes," Harry said flatly. "Professor McGonagall was runner up for headmistress if Dumbledore was to," he paused, suppressing a lump which was beginning to form in his throat. "...step down. But if the ministry has appointed someone else, they must have ulterior motives, and the only way that the ministry would appoint a known 'ex-' Death Eater as headmaster would be if-"

"The ministry has fallen," Hermione said in a small, almost breathless voice.

Harry nodded. "And Voldemort's in charge."

"It'll make things difficult, having the ministry on his side," Ron commented.

"Yes," Harry said. "Guess I'll be public enemy number one again." He looked around at Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and James. "And you're all sure that there's no way I could possibly talk you all out of being dragged down into this with me."

Almost in unison, they shook their heads. "Alright," Harry said with a sigh. "Then I guess that's what's happening."

Ron stood up and spoke in an ambitious manner. "So what's the plan? What do we do first?"

"We need to leave."

"Now?" Ginny asked, looking quickly from Harry, then to the rather less shocked Ron and Hermione.

"If Voldemort's taken over, I'm surprised he hasn't already come for us."

"He's right," Hermione agreed. "Merlin knows why we haven;t already heard of this. He must have already done more damage than we thought."

"Exactly," Harry said. "And we can't expect him to wait around much longer. We need to hide."

"When do we leave?" Ginny asked, looking down at James.

"Tomorrow?" Ron suggested.

"Tonight would be better," Hermione said.

"She's right," Harry said.

"Sounds like a plan, then," said Hermione, crossing her arms over her chest.

James, just then, began to wail in an ungodly high volume, causing Ron to cringe.

"Pass him to me," Ginny said, reaching for her son. Harry obliged.

"You know," Ron said as he smiled at Ginny soothing his nephew. "Having James with us is going to make things...interesting."

"In a good way I think," Ginny said. "He'll be one happy, good thing to keep us going as our world gets darker." "Exactly," Harry agreed. Ginny, rocking James softly in her arms in an attempt to soothe him, smiled down at her precious boy. She knew that his birth- along with this war and her marriage to Harry- marked the end of her childhood, but she finally felt ready to embrace what was coming. A new life was beginning.


	2. Fidelius

**My apologies for the formatting issues on the first chapter. It was not written like that, it was simply a problem in the uploading. The problem was fixed. Thank you all for letting me know! **

**Disclaimer: This statement refers to the entire story. I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.**

Fidelius

As the sun began to set outside their windows, Ron stood facing Ginny, who cradled James in her arms. He cleared his throat and mustered as much power as he could before pointing his wand at the pair and saying clearly, _"Fidelius."_

Nothing happened. Ron sighed exasperatedly.

"You're just not focusing," Hermione said.

"I'm focusing well enough!" Ron snapped back, causing Hermione to give him a disapproving grimace.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "Just listen to her, mate. We need to get out of here."

"I know, but it's not my fault. If you're so good at it Hermione, then why don't you-"

"Ron, stop being a git and do it already." Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm getting to it, it's just-"

"Ron!" Hermione scolded him as he went off topic again. "Concentrate on James and Ginny."

"I'm trying!"

"Ron, seriously-" Ginny began.

Having had enough, Ron grunted frustratedly in frustration and spun around on his heel, pointing his wand straight at Ginny and the baby. _"Fidelius!"_

It happened quite quickly. One moment Harry could see them, and the next second they were gone. "James?" he called, staring at the empty space where they'd once stood. "Ginny?"

Nothing. Hermione poked Ron in the ribs.

"Ow, what now-? Oh, right." He cleared his throat once more. "Harry, Hermione, I am Ginny and James' secret keeper."

Ginny and James popped back into view. Hermione smiled. "Well done Ron," she said, examining the mother and child in front of her.

"Er- thanks." He said.

There was in awkward silence. "We best be off, then," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed quietly.

"Should we tell them?" Ron asked, nodding his head toward the door, where outside and down the stairs sat his parents, oblivious to the matter upstairs.

"We'll write a note," said Harry. "We can't have them looking for us if they make the wrong assumptions."

Ginny summoned a piece of parchment and a quill. "What should I say?" she asked.

"Just tell them what's going on, but be brief. Don't give any details."

Ginny nodded and pressed the quill to the parchment.

_We had to leave, it was time. Don't come looking._

Pushing back the urge to cry, Ginny folded the note and left it by the door.

"Right then," said Hermione, "Come on, let's get a move on."

Ginny gripped James so firmly that she worried she might be hurting him, and used her free hand to hold tightly onto Harry's. She watched Harry nod at Ron and Hermione, and Ginny's last thought before the squeezing sensation of Disapparation overcame her was of her parents. She'd promised them that they'd only be a moment. She knew now that it would be a lot longer than that before she saw either of them again.

xxx

They arrived squeezed together on the front step of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. The four teens exchanged a quick look before Harry tapped the door with his wand. It responded with a series of clicking sounds as it unlocked. They stepped inside and looked around cautiously.

_"Severus Snape?"_ An old voice called out, echoing. A large figure formed of dust arose from the carpet down the hall. As it floated toward them and came into more descriptive view, it appeared to be a ghost-like depiction of Albus Dumbledore.

The apparition rushed toward them, causing fear to shoot through their veins. "We didn't kill you!" Hermione shouted.

The figure instantly dissolved into dust once more. There was a unanimous sigh of relief.

"What the-"

"Traps," Hermione said. "They've been set up to keep Snape out. Come on, close the door."

Ginny turned and obliged. "What now?" She asked.

"We'll stay here tonight," Hermione said. "And we'll figure the rest out tomorrow.

James let out a loud cry, causing the group to turn and look at him.

"All the excitement must have woken him up," Ginny said. I'll take him upstairs and feed him. If we stay down here he'll never calm down."

"Alright love," Harry said. "We'll just be working things out down here."

Ginny nodded, headed up the stairs, and disappeared from sight.

"I'll make us some tea," Hermione said. Ron and Harry followed her into the kitchen. "Do you think this will all be too much for him?" Hermione asked as she filled a kettle with water and zapped it with her wand, causing it to instantly boil. She poured the steaming water into a pot and dropped in a few teabags. "I mean, all this action can't be good for a new born."

"We'll figure it out," Harry assured her. "He'll be fine. And besides, can you think of a safer place for them to be?"

Hermione shrugged. "Guess not."

"Look, it's better like this, if we keep him close to us, they can't attack him. Plus Ron's Fidelius charm will help."

"Speaking of which," Hermione cut in. "Ron, you'd better write the information down, in case we have to tell someone and you're not there."

"Oh, yeah," Ron said. He pulled out his wand, summoned some parchment and a quill, then proceeded to scribble a quick note. "I'll give it to Ginny later," He said, reaching across the table to grab the cup of tea that Hermione had placed for him. He took a sip. "So what do we know about the locket situation?" He asked, recalling a previous conversation he'd had with Harry about the Horcruxes.

"All I know," Harry said. "Is that we're looking for someone called R.A.B."

"Who do you think-"

"Harry," Ginny called frustratedly from upstairs frustration colouring her voice.

"Yes, Gin?" Harry called back.

"I've found Kreacher," she said in an exasperated manner.

"Kreacher! Leave Ginny and the baby alone!" Harry yelled. There was no response. "Kreacher, get down here."

The house elf came reluctantly down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he stomped towards Harry, Ginny's wedding ring clasped tightly between his bony fingers.

"Give that to me," Harry ordered.

Kreacher begrudgingly handed the gleaming band over.

"How did he even _see _them?" Ron asked.

"Elf magic," Hermione explained. "It's different than ours. He does what he's told, no matter what. He was told by the portrait of his old mistress to protect the Black family property. It's probably a rather expensive band, you can't blame him for mistaking it for something that may have belonged to Mrs Black."

Ron shrugged. "Guess not."

Kreacher stood before them, staring at Hermione in disgust.

"Where have you been moping about?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Kreacher did not answer.

"Answer me Kreacher."

"Kreacher has been in Master Regulus's room," the elf said.

He was telling the truth. The information was not useful to Harry's cause.

"Who's Regulus?" Ron asked.

"Sirius's brother," Hermione told him. "Regulus Arcturus Black."

"The mudblood speaks Master's name!" Kreacher screeched.

"Don't call her a mudblood!" Harry scolded.

The house elf fell silent. And, for some odd reason, so did Hermione. She looked as though something huge had just occurred to her. "Regulus...Arcturu-... Harry!"

"What?" Harry asked.

"Regulus Arcturus Black! R.A.B!"

"No way!" Ron exclaimed. "But he was a Death Eater! How...?"

"I bet Kreacher knows a fair bit about it," Harry said. They all stared at the house elf, waiting for an explanation.

"Then who has the locket now?" Ron asked.

They were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Harry, Ron, and Hermione jumped to their feet. Wands at the ready, then slowly approached it.

A tall and dark man stood in its frame, waving away the ghost trap.

"Kingsley," Harry called. "What are you doing here?"

Kingsley approached the group. "We haven't much time, and we may be being watched right now. We need to go to a more secure location, I will explain everything."

"Hold on," Harry said. He pointed his wand at Kingsley's chest. "Name three people who were present when the Order of the Phoenix brought me here from Little Winging in my fifth year."

"Remus, Tonks, and myself."

Harry lowered his wand. "It's him," he confirmed. "Alright, let's go. Where are we going?"

"I cannot tell you here, in case we're being watched. We'll have to do side along Apparation."

"Alright," Harry said. "Ginny! Come quick!" He called.

Ginny came bouncing down the stairs, James in her arms. "What? What is it?"

"We need to leave," Harry said. "Take my hand."

"Where-"

"It doesn't matter," Harry said. "Just trust me."

"Alright," Ginny said, grabbing Harry's hand for the second time that day.

Kingsley looked confused. "Where is she? Who are you talking to?"

"Ginny, she's here. I'll explain later. Or, Ron will, I guess."

"Alright. Ready?" Kingsley asked. Everyone nodded. "Right then." he said. "Three, two-"

James squirmed violently in Ginny's arms, and she reflexively pulled her hand away to steady him, breaking her connection to the others. Her action went unnoticed by everyone except Harry, who realized just a moment too late.

"One," Kingsley said.

And in the blink of an eye Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kingsley were gone, leaving Ginny standing there, cradling James, all alone in Grimmauld Place.

**I promise it'll start being interesting soon! It's just a little slow starting. Oh, and I swear it won't all be this canon. **


	3. The Locket and The Secret

**Happy Christmas!  
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The Locket and the Secret

Fear rushed through her like ice cold water, and she stared around anxiously, hoping that she was wrong about what had just happened. She wasn't. She stood there in the empty, dusty hallway, completely and utterly alone but for the baby boy who wiggled in her arms. He let out a small cry, and so did she.

How would she ever find them? They never told her where they were going. Sure, they would come back for her, but Merlin only knew when, and she hadn't the faintest clue as to what they were up to without her. What if something where to happen to them whilst she was here. She would never know.

James' cries became louder and more demanding. She patted him on the back. "Daddy's coming back," she said, really more to herself than to the infant. "Of course he will."

She suddenly looked up when something silver crossed her peripheral vision. A luminous silver stag had appeared before them, one that Ginny - after hours of DA meetings and battles with Dementors, real and fake - knew very well. Her spirits lifted.

The stag delivered a short and simple message in the voice she knew to be Harry's, though he sounded more anxious than Ginny would have liked to have heard.

"Stay where you are ," the Patronus instructed. "We'll come for you as soon as possible. Be on the lookout for trouble. Do not respond."

And then in what seemed like a gust of air blowing it away, the stag disappeared. Ginny sighed in relief, though she was not completely comforted. What the hell were they doing?

Her thoughts were interrupted once more by something new and shocking grasping her attention: A light clicking sound. She looked over to see the knob of the front door turning. A feeling of horror hit her and she held James protectively against herself with one arm, her free hand shooting to her pocket to grab her wand. The door began to open slowly. Her heart leapt into her throat.

xxx

As the group landed, they felt the air rush back to their lungs. They stood in a small, ornately decorated and dimly lit room with a low ceiling and a dark blue carpet. It took Harry a moment to process what had just happened.

"Ginny!" He said with his voice getting panicky. "Ginny and James! We left them in the house!"

"What?" Hermione said, shocked. "How?"

"She let go at the last minute. We have to go back for them!"

"We can't," Kingsley said. "It's not safe."

"Oh it's not safe? Yeah, that's really making me want to leave my wife and son there," Harry scoffed.

"They are under the Fidelius charm," Hermione pointed out.

"What?" Kingsley asked, staring at her blankly.

"The Fidelius charm," Hermione repeated.

Kingsley looked confused. "Did you say something?"

Hermione, Ron, and Harry were now equally confused.

"Yes," Hermione said. "I said..." She paused. "Can you not hear me?"

Kingsley shook his head, still looking confused. "I can hear you now, but just a moment ago, your lips were moving, but there was no noise coming out."

"She was speaking loud and clear," said Ron. "What do you-?"

"The charm!" Hermione exclaimed, smacking her forehead in realization. He can't hear me talking about them being under the charm because he's not in on the secret. Ron, tell him."

"Right," Ron said. "I am Ginny and James' secret keeper."

Kingsley nodded. "Okay, well then, now that we've covered that-"

"Back to the matter," Harry continued for him. "We need to get back to them."

"They're safe where they are for now, the Death Eaters are after you," Kingsley said.

"But-"

They have the charm to protect them they'll be fine for the time being. Now we really must discuss the matter at hand. We'll go back for them as soon as we can. If it's really that important you can send a Patronus."

Defeated, Harry sighed. "Expecto Patronum," he said, and a misty silver stag appeared before them. It galloped quickly away, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kingsley staring after it. Harry felt a bit relieved to know that he'd managed some sort of communication with Ginny and James.

"Now," said Kingsley suddenly. "We really must get down to the point. Have a seat."

The teens obliged. "So what's this about?" Harry asked a little anxiously.

Kingsley sighed. "There is much to explain. Let me start off with why I have not come to you earlier. I trust that you're aware of Severus Snape's taking over of Hogwarts?"  
>"Of course," Hermione said.<p>

"So then, naturally you were able to deduce that-"

"Voldemort's taken over the Ministry," Harry said with a stiff nod.

"Yes," Kingsley said. "I'd have liked to have told you sooner, but the Death Eater's stormed the Auror department. They kept us captive for weeks, they want information on you. We've only just escaped-"

"They kept you captive?" Hermione gasped.

"Yes," Kingsley said. "But that is aside from the point. Word is going around that Dumbledore left a special task for you. Is that true?"

Harry looked from Hermione to Ron as if asking whether they could trust him. Between them, they silently decided to do so, but not fully. They could not truly trust anyone but each other. "Well," Harry said. "We can't tell you what it's about, but yes, he has."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you've got an evil locket lying around somewhere," Ron said.

"A locket?" Kingsley asked.

The trio exchanged looks again.

"Yes," Harry said. "We're looking for a locket. It's large, gaudy, black with a large 'S' on the front."

Kingsley lit up with realization. "With a thick metal chain?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Dolores Umbridge has been flashing that around for weeks."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at him, jaws open. "What!" Harry asked.

Kingsley nodded. "Yes, it's an heirloom from the Selwyn family apparently."

"We need to get it!" Hermione exclaimed.

"As soon as possible," Harry agreed.

"How?" Ron asked. "How will we even get in?"

Kingsley cleared his throat. "I believe I can be of assistance there."

xxx

"Remus!" Ginny exclaimed in relief. She ran towards him.

Remus Lupin stared right through both mother and son. "Harry?" he called. "Are you there?"

"Remus, it's me," Ginny stared at him, waiting for him to notice her. It wasn't soon before she realized that he couldn't. "Oh," she said.

Lupin looked around and then strode past her. "Harry?" he called again.

Ginny was so glad not to be alone that she followed him into the kitchen, hoping against hope that he would somehow see her. He didn't. Instead he picked up a piece of parchment off the table and examined it. He looked confused and after a moment his eyes shifted from the not to the doorway where Ginny stood, holding James.

He stared at her as if she had just suddenly appeared, and she did. "Ginny?" he asked.

Ginny quickly pulled her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at him. "What was the colour of the dress that Tonks wore to my wedding?" she asked.

Remus put his hands up in peace. "I believe it was dark blue with silver." he replied calmly.

Ginny thought back on the event. She sighed in relief. "Remus!" she said, pulling him into a hug. "How did you find us?" she asked.

"I went to your house to talk to Harry about Snape being appointed headmaster, but your parents said you lot had left. Your mother's in a right state. Anyway, I knew that if you'd left it had to have been for something important, and this was the first place I thought to look for you."

"I'm glad you're here," Ginny said. "Kingsley came and he took Harry, Ron, and Hermione somewhere. Harry told me to stay here."

Remus' eyebrows rose. "Where did they go?"

"I don't know," Ginny said. "They told me to stay here but-"

There came a loud crashing from the front of the house. Ginny and Remus turned around quickly.

"Potter better be in here!" One man shouted.

"He will be!" Another man yelled back.

The pair in the kitchen knew immediately that the men were Death Eaters. Ginny looked to Remus, terrified. "What do we do?" she asked.

"We run," Remus said. He pulled his wand out of his pocket. "Hold tightly onto James!" he said. "We just need to get outside to the front step."

They ran out of the kitchen, wands at the ready.

"Someone's there!" One Death Eater shouted. "Crucio!" he shouted, his wand pointed at Remus, who dodged it.

Ginny, though invisible to everyone around her, felt absolutely terrified as she followed Remus down the hall, shooting spells of at Death Eaters, confusing them as they started looking around for Remus' invisible opponent. Remus nearly got hit by a killing curse just as they reached the front step. One Death Eater was just about to send a curse at them as they finally made it outside when Remus grabbed Ginny's arm tightly and they spun on the spot.

"Remus!" A familiar voice called. Tonks bounded into the room, nearly knocking over a picture frame in her wake. Her hair was short and blonde. Ginny notice a slight rounding of her stomach. "Back so soon? Are you okay? What happened?"

Remus hugged his wife to comfort her. "It's alright, I'm fine. I didn't find them, they've already left. But I did find someone else," he said. He pulled the note from Ron out of his pocket and handed it to Tonks who scanned it.

"Ginny and James?" she said. She looked up and Ginny, who waved nervously. "Oh!" she said. "Wotcher Ginny!" she pulled Ginny into a tight hug, nearly crushing James in the process. "What happened? What's going on?"

"It's a long story," Ginny said.

"Well come on then," she said. "Let's go have some tea and you can explain."

Ginny followed her into the small but cosy kitchen. Come to think of it, the whole house had that sort of feel. She felt oddly safe here.

James let out a loud cry and Ginny tried to soothe him. He had a wet nappy. She cursed herself for not having fresh ones on her.

It was as if Tonks had read her mind. "Need a nappy?" She asked as she brought cups of tea to the table.

"Yeah," Ginny said. "I haven't got any on me."

Tonks waved her wand and summoned a clean nappy which she handed to Ginny.

"Thanks," Ginny said.

"No problem," said Tonks, guiding Ginny to the small living room so that she could change James on the couch. "The nursery upstairs is all set up and stocked already, you can use whatever you need."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at her. "It's done already? Aren't you only about four months pregnant?"

"Four and a half," Tonks corrected her, stroking her stomach. She blushed and giggled. "I'm a little excited."

Ginny laughed as well. It was the first time she'd laughed all day. "I can see that."

They sat in silence for a moment while Ginny changed James's nappy and pondered the day's events. How would Harry ever find them now?"

Tonks, seemingly reading her mind again, put a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said. "You're safe here."

Ginny knew that she could believe her on that, but regardless, she missed her husband.


	4. The Lupin House

**Sorry for the hiatus, I've been obscenely busy lately (real life problems suck, I hate school) and haven't had any time to write. But I'm happy to say that the semester from hell is finally over, and I finally have free time again! Yay, now I can write and sleep and maybe even have time to *gasp* eat! Haha, anyways, hope you like this next chapter.**

The Lupin House

Three days had gone by since Ginny's separation from her husband and arrival at the Lupins' home, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had yet to return. She grew quickly anxious. Was it that they simply didn't know where she was or where to start looking for her? Or had something happened to them? She prayed that it wasn't the latter.

She sat in the kitchen late in the morning, feeding James and munching on a piece of toast, worrying - more than she never had - of the future. Had Dumbledore really set out a solid plan for Harry, or were they simply embarking on a wild goose chase? Did they really know what they were doing? How much risk was really involved in this? She thought, for the hundredth time, of what it would be like to raise James on her own, and felt shivers run down her spine.

James squirmed at her shudder and made a sound of complaint in her arms.

"Sorry love," she said, readjusting his position to make the infant comfortable again.

"Morning Gin," Tonks said as she entered the kitchen, her arms folded over her small bump.

Ginny looked up. "Morning," she said sadly.

Tonks waved her wand and a kettle whistled. She poured the boiling water into a pot and dropped a few teabags in. "How're you doing today?" she asked as she placed a cup in front of the young mother.

Ginny shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess," She lifted James to her shoulder and burped him. She looked over at the calendar which hung next to the kitchen door. Not knowing the date, it didn't help her much. "What day of the week is it?" she asked.

"Friday," Tonks said, sipping her tea.

Ginny cringed. She still didn't know what Kingsley had wanted from them, but it had to have been ministry related. She hoped they weren't planning on _going_ to the Ministry. But of course they wouldn't, it would be a horrid idea! Still, the idea of it stuck with her. The ministry was closed on Saturdays and Sundays. If they _were _planning on going there, and they hadn't done it yet, it could be Monday before she had any chance of seeing them again.

James was becoming restless in her arms and let out a loud cry. She tried to soothe him, but it was to no avail. Her worry was probably rubbing off on him, she figured. His cries became louder and louder and soon his cries were battling with those inside of her head. "Please calm down, sweetheart," she pleaded. He didn't. Tears rolled down Ginny's face and she couldn't stop them. She didn't even know why she was crying.

"Ginny?" Tonks said, observing her. She wore a look of concern as she leaned against the counter behind her. "Are you okay?"

Ginny wiped her eyes and tried to rock James softly from side to side. His crying died down to a stifled jagged breathing. "I'm fine," she said. More tears fell.

"You don't look fine," Tonks said.

Ginny took a deep breath and looked out the window at the foggy day. "It's just..." She trailed off.

Tonks sat quietly and waited for her to continue.

"It's just so hard sometimes. I haven't slept in weeks. I mean, he's only a few weeks old, and he's just so much work. I mean, I love him so much, but with everything that's going on, and Harry not here, and..." she trailed off and stifled a sob. "And it's only going to get worse. What if something happens to Harry? How am I going to explain to my son why he doesn't have a father?" The last word was barely audible. Ginny tried to wipe the tears from her face but it was no use, they were flowing too fast.

Tonks stood up straight and walked over to Ginny. "It's okay," she said as she patted the crying girl on the shoulder. "It's okay, I understand. Here, why don't you let me take James for a few hours, and you can get some sleep."

Ginny shook her head. "No, he's too little. He'll just want to eat the whole time."

"For an hour, at least, then," Tonks offered.

Ginny shook her head again. "No, he's my responsibility, you shouldn't have to-"

"Ginny," Tonks said. "I want to. Just take the help." She smiled at her. "And besides," she said, rubbing her stomach. "It'll be good practise."

Ginny thought about it. She didn't want to have James out of her sight in such dangerous times, as much as she trusted Tonks, but on the other hand, she was exhausted. An hour long nap would do good for her, clear her head. "Alright," she said, and Tonks took the gurgling baby boy from her arms. "If he gets hungry or restless, bring him to me."

Tonks nodded and smiled. "Get some sleep, Ginny."

"Thank you," Ginny said, yawning as she stood up from her chair. "Really, thank you so much."

"Anytime," Tonks said as Ginny left the room, rubbing her eyes. _The poor girl's in way over her head, _Tonks thought to herself as she cradled James (who was blowing spit bubbles and staring up at her with wide, interested eyes) in her arms. "Alright lovely," she said. "What would you like to do with auntie Tonks today?"

xxx

"So we're clear on the plan?" Harry clarified as he, Hermione, Ron, and Kingsley stood in a narrow alleyway near the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. Hermione and Ron nodded, and Kingsley pulled three phials out of his coat pocket, each containing a different coloured liquid. The one he passed to Hermione was a deep plum shade, Ron a milky yellow, and Harry a dark, murky brown.

"I cannot go in with you," Kingsley said. "It will look suspicious. Just follow the plan we've set out, and if you need help, I'll be shadowing you."

"Right then," Harry said. "Let's get this over with." He chugged back the Polyjuice potion quickly. It tasted terrible, like mud and burnt plastic. He resisted the urge to spit it back out, but was distracted as he felt himself being stretched taller, his shoulders broadening. His clothes felt tight. He looked over at the short old woman and tall awkward looking man that he knew to actually be Ron and Hermione.

"Here are your clothes," Kingsley said, passing piles of crumpled fabric to each teen. Now I must leave you, we don't want to look suspicious. I'll see you inside, but you won't see me."

"Alright," Hermione said. "Thank you Kingsley."

Kingsley nodded and walked away with forced casualness.

"Let's get a move on," Hermione said, pulling off her now-too-big red jumper and replacing it with a smaller green one.

"Sounds like a plan," Harry said. "The sooner we get this over with and get back to Ginny and James-" he pulled a shirt over his head and shrugged on a blazer. "-the better."

Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement and the three teens, now disguised, headed off to the ministry.

xxx

Ginny didn't sleep for very long, but the short nap that she was able to achieve felt like a godsend. When she awoke she felt refreshed and energized, as though a dark cloud of fogginess had finally drifted away. Power naps really are a wonderful thing, she thought to herself.

She headed down the stairs and into the small sitting room where Tonks was sat on the sofa, reading _The Quibbler_, a sleeping James swaddled up and cushioned between some pillows beside her. "Hey Gin," she said, looking up from her paper. "He fell asleep not too long after you went up."

Ginny's eyebrows rose. "Oh, so he'll sleep for you," she joked.

Tonks laughed. "How was your nap?"

Ginny smiled at her and took a seat on the couch next to where James lay. "Fantastic," she said. "Thank you so much Tonks."

Tonks smiled and waved her hand dismissively, "Any time."

James began to stir in his sleep. He let out a soft whimpering sound and his eyes slowly opened. He stared up at his mother.

"I swear the vey smell of me wakes him up," Ginny said, half laughing, half sighing.

Tonks chuckled. "Can't blame him," she said. "You smell awful Ginny, when was the last time you showered?"

"Far too long ago," Ginny said. "Ah, the joys of motherhood."

"Oh boy," Tonks said, rubbing her hands over her stomach.

"You'll get used to it," Ginny said as she picked up the gargling James and cradled him in her arms.

"And so will you," Tonks said. "Things will get easier."

Ginny nodded. "When Harry gets back," she paused. "I just hope they're safe, wherever they are."

Hundreds of miles away, in the heart of the ministry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were running for their lives with the stolen locket.


	5. On With the Show

Hey guys. I know, I hate when authors put up chapters that are just author's notes too, this just had to be said, so I'll keep it brief. So I kind of disappeared for about an eternity. Sorry about that. Here's the thing, I haven't had much time to write lately, I've been very busy with school and such. But school ends in a week, and then I'm free! And I'll finally have time to write, which is awesome.

Anyways, we have two things to discuss. First off, the plot. I'm absolutely stuck with the worst case of writer's block on this plot, and I'm seriously struggling to combine canon and non-canon aspects. It's feeling impossible. I simply can't write as long a story this time. So please, please, please, I'm begging you, don't get mad at me when I say that there will probably only be around five to ten more chapters, and they may be greatly spaced out storyline wise. I just see this as a better solution than leaving you without an ending. What do you guys think?

And secondly, **MAJORLY IMPORTANT, **I went offline for less than a month and came back to story covers. WTF? Well, I am not an amazing artist, and I _was _just going to take something from the internet, but I figured I'd throw this out there: if any of you are good artists and wouldn't mind doing a **cover art for this story or The Unexpected Heir Part One** (preferably both, if only one, I'd prefer the first) then you would be my absolute favourite person ever. And I'd pay you in comments on your stories. **PM me if you're interested.**

Alright, that's it for now folks, I'll update soon.

Please draw for me?

-CaseyLove


	6. I'm Passing the Torch

** First off, I'm sorry to have disappointed everyone who is reading this if I got you excited that this would be an update. I'm afraid to say that I am not updating today, nor will I be updating again. I'm very sorry to say that I will not be writing this anymore. I simply do not have enough time to work on this project, as I am currently working on getting a novel of my own published, and between that and school, my time has to be focussed elsewhere. I would have loved to have finished, but I just can't.**

** HOWEVER, I will throw this offer out there: if anyone would like to pick this story up where it left off, I'd love to read how you end it. I would be happy to give you pointers and my own notes if you'd like, and there are just a few plot points (all spoilers) that I'd like to keep in the story. I've written the very last paragraph of the story as well, so it would be nice if you could keep that, but not necessary. The rest is up to you. Comment or PM me if you'd like to take the torch, I'm holding it out to you with outstretched arms. **

**-CaseyLove**


	7. Here We Go Again!

**Hello everyone! Last one, I promise! I have some exciting news!**

**As I stated before, I am unable to finish this story, and I extended the offer to anyone who would like to pick it up and give it a try themselves. Well, I'm ecstatic to announce that someone has!**

**Anna Louisa has taken on the story and will be writing it from here on out! She is amazing writer, and we've worked together to ensure that you guys get the awesome ending that you deserve. I've read her other work and just her first chapter of TUEP2 already, and I know she'll make it spectacular. **

**Much love to all of you who supported me through this whole process and who've followed this story from the beginning. Thank you all for the wonderful experience, now onto new adventures!**

**The Unexpected Heir Part Two will be continued by Anna Louisa's telling here: s/9405666/1/The-Unexpected-Heir-Part-2 (type that after the site address, or go to her account if the link doesn't work)  
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**Keep on reading, keep on writing, keep on dreaming!**

**- CaseyLove**


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